An undesirable but preventable formation of tiny crystals in the uncured nail coating, often resulting from unusually cold temperatures or drafts while a nail technician is working with wet acrylic product.

According to Peter DeSantis of DeEnterprises, crystalization is the undesired effect from crystals forming on uncured acrylic during application.  It often is a tell-tale sign of an acrylic system being applied below the system's optimum curing temperature. Crystals are formed when the monomer (liquid) evaporates before it has a chance to bond with the polymer (powder) when applying acrylic. This causes the product to crumble when filed.  The ideal working temperatures vary between manufacturers but are typically 74º to 82º F.  Crystallizing acrylics can be easily stopped be warming the acrylic monomer (liquid) under warm water, warming the client’s hands, or using a faster setting polymer (powder).  

With today’s hi-tech monomers, such as DeEnterprises' Nomma Plus, crystallization can be avoided altogether.